Woo WA33

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by Faker, May 15, 2017.

  1. Faker

    Faker New

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    Just saw this on the Woo site and didn't find any threads for it here. Looks like the new flagship WA33 is available for pre-order.

    http://wooaudio.com/products/wa33.html
    Fully balanced with quad 6C45 tubes driving quad 2A3's

    Starts at $7999 with a pre-order special at $6799 :eek:
    Seems like a potential competitor for the Studio and Stellaris.
     
  2. The Alchemist

    The Alchemist MOT: Schiit - Here to help!

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    wow that is bad-ass -but I think I would buy a car instead :p
     
  3. SSL

    SSL Friend

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    Maybe because no thread is needed, at least right now. It's pre-release, so I can't imagine many if any people have heard it around these parts. Plus it's a Woo, plus it's $8k.
     
  4. bigfatpaulie

    bigfatpaulie Tried to screw other friends while playing victim

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    Haha.

    Honestly, I haven't heard it, but if Woo's other offerings are any indication it isn't competition for the Studio or Stellaris. Heck, the WA234 isn't on par with the Studio or Stellaris to my ears.
     
  5. ogodei

    ogodei MOT: Austin AudioWorks

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    WARNING: Snark from a tired \ sick person ahead:

    I believe I need the "Elite" edition, at $12,750. Which is the pre-order discounted price, down from $15,000. Before the tube upgrade options I presume.

    The 24k gold plaque will complement my Susvara nicely though.
     
    Last edited: May 16, 2017
  6. songmic

    songmic Gear cycler East Asia edition

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    Not sure if being serious or simply trolling...
    Don't you already have a Stellaris?
     
  7. Thenewerguy009

    Thenewerguy009 Friend

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    I thought he was joking, but they are offering a 24k gold-plated plaque with their "Elite" amp!

    The Elite Edition has better caps & transformers, but a twice the price. I doesn't have anything than that other than better connectors & internal wires?
     
  8. songmic

    songmic Gear cycler East Asia edition

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    Yes, and so does the DNA Silver Stellaris which has all internal silver wiring and costs 2-3 times as much as a Stellaris (Donald said it would cost at least $15K, and may even cost up to $20-30K depending on the price of silver).

    And if you think about it, the only difference between Stratus and Stellaris is that the latter uses better caps and transformers and the Stellaris already costs 2-3 times as much as a Stratus. Yet the sonic differences are said to be huge.

    From my experience, upgrading internal parts make a more significant upgrade than one might expect. The SFD-2 MKII I used to own became so much better sounding after having it sent to pcX for the SE+ mod, which not only included WBT RCA and Cardas XLR connectors (the same ones that the WA33 EE uses) but also a thorough upgrade in internal parts including better caps. I honestly felt the SFD-2 MKII SE+ was in the same league as Yggdrasil. Which is why I'm planning to send my Processor 3 for the SE+ mod as well.
     
  9. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    That RK50 pot is not cheap. I think even the stereo one eeks near $1k now due to rarity. The quad probably more.

    If (that's a really big *if* here) the transformers are truly proper single crystal wire and core and not a directionally solidified drawn/pulltrusion or whatever, yeah then that's gonna be stupid expensive. I wouldn't be surprised if it were 3k for a pair.

    So that's an additional 4k just on those two items, double that for healthy profit margin... and I don't think we're far off the mark.

    Personally I'd rather spend a fraction of that and put the rest towards my mortgage, but hey to each their own. Those boutique parts add up fast, so it's a bit deceptive and we all have this kneejerk reaction to the price. I think it was someone on here who did a breakdown of the Utopia vs Elear, and based on parts/materials/whatever estimated that the profit margin (percentage-wise) on the Utopia was actually lower than on the Elear.
     
    Last edited: May 16, 2017
  10. ogodei

    ogodei MOT: Austin AudioWorks

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    Sorry for not being clear, yes, I was being sarcastic. I was motivated to post by seeing this in quick succession with the announcement of the Susvara. It seems vendors are most interested in putting exceptional price tags on (apparently) non-exceptional gear these days. The Woo amps need all the upgrades to sound very good and the Elite here doesn't even seem to include them by default unless I read that wrong. I havent heard either of these gears, maybe they will surprise the world but I doubt it.

    DNA (I do have the Stellaris, and had the Stratus) seems to be the other way around. I think i'm getting far better build and quality than I am paying for even though the price is high compared to some other products. Same for the Utopia to a lesser extent; I think they are exceptional sounding headphones. The Silver Stellaris may be another matter, but I dont know how many of those Donald has sold yet. ;)
     
  11. Contrails

    Contrails New

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    It is a gorgeous amp like most of Woo's offerings. No doubt about that. But they offer poor value for money when Eddie Current or Glen's custom amps are available at lower costs.
     
  12. dubharmonic

    dubharmonic Friend

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    After having this amp for about 6 weeks, I thought I’d throw some notes into the thread. As far as I know, the WA33 doesn’t really have any alternatives that are still in production, or maybe even out of production. The power output from the WA33 is on a different level. Feliks Envy is the closest I have heard.

    I’m coming to this amp from a DNA Stellaris, which is more polite, composed, and far quieter.

    [​IMG]

    Listening notes:
    • Ridiculous levels of power! HE6se nearly needs to be on low gain to get enough play on the volume control.
    • Pairs surprisingly well with Utopia and JAR800, as long as the amp is on low gain.
    • Best synergy I’ve heard yet with 1266. Tubes help fill out the mids.
    • Tons of textured deep bass slam with Susvara, though I’d bet some might think this pairing is a bit too warm.
    • Not the widest, most holographic presentation
     
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